phillips



(No Model.) 2Sheets -Shee't1'. W.PHILLIPS & R. W. SMITH. VELOVGIPEIDB.

Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

Zwdz fMzM W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER PHILLIPS AND ROBERT WALKER SMITH, OF COVENTRY, COUNTY OF WVARWICK, ENGLAND.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,516, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed April 10, 1889. Serial No. 306,648. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: frames, inclined downward toward their cen- Be it known that we, WALTER PHILLIPS, ter, where they are rigidly connected to the manager to the Rudge Cycle Company, (Limtop and bottom, respectively, of a short cen- 1ted,) and ROBERT WALKER SMITH, machintral vertical pillar, which carries a hori- 55 5 ist, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, zontal stud or axis, upon which the crossboth residing at Coventry, in the county of frame of the front and steering wheels is Warwick, England, have invented new and mounted. The front cross-frame is preferusefulImprovements in Velocipedes, of which ably arched, and is provided at its ends with the following is a specification. bearings for short vertical spindles which 6c Our invention relates to that class of ve carry the axles of the wheels, and the upper locipedes in which the riders sit side by side, end of each of these vertical spindles has each over or in line with a wheel, and known fixed thereon a short lever, which levers are as sociables. coupled by means of a connecting-link. One

Heretofore some sociables have been formed of these levers or the connecting-link is bya 65 by combining two rear-driven safety bicyconnecting-rod pin-jointed thereto and 0011- cles and others have been constructed with nected by a flexible joint with a lever fixed three wheels, the front wheel being the steerupon a vertical spindle supported in bearings ing-wheel; but these arrangements have been in or carried by the short vertical pillar, and more or less defective and have consequently the upper part of this vertical spindle is pro- 70 been unsuccessful when brought into practivided with an offset or lever, which is by a cal use; and the object of our invention is to connecting-rod connected to a similar offset obviate these defects. fixed upon the lower end of a steering-spin- In carrying our invention, into eifect, we dle provided with the usual steering-bar at mount each of the rear wheels upon a short its upper part; or, if desired, both of the 75 axle, and upon the hub of each wheel is fixed steering-bars may, through spindles, be simia chain-wheel, such short axle being carried larly connected with the wheels, thus enby a slotted bracket from the frame to allow abling both riders or either rider to steer. If of adjustment for regulating the tension of desired, the connecting-rods may both be the chain. Each of the saddles is supported connected to one lever or offset from the cen- 8o at the upper part of a backbone or frame, tral spindle.

which is'curved to the form of the wheel, and In order that the said invention may be the two frames are connected together and more clearly understood and readily carried braced near their upper part by a cross tube into effect, we will proceed, aided by the acor tie, the brackets carrying the axles being 'companying drawings, more fully to describe 3 5 connected together in a similar manner. Each the same.

pedal-axle is mounted in bearings at the lower In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevaend of the curved backbone, and has fixed tion of a velocipede constructed according to thereon a chain-wheel, from which a chain our invention, the wheels at one side and leads to the chain-wheel upon the hub of one some other parts being removed in order more 0 4 of the rear wheels. From each of the pedalclearly to show the parts. Fig. 2 is a plan axles the frame is curved slightly inward, thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of the front and is continued rearward until it joins the part thereof arranged inua vertical position. bracket of the corresponding rear wheel, and Fig. 4- is a detail view of part, drawn to an enit then rises vertically until it joins the upper larged scale. Fig. 5 is a front View of part of 45 end of the curved backbone. The frames are the front of the machine in a verticalposition, each continued forward until they join a showing a modification of the connections of corresponding vertical pillar, through one or the steering mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a side both of which passesasteering-spindle. These view of a portion thereof in its normal or intubular pillars are, at about the middle of clined position and drawn to an enlarged 50 their length and at their lower end, connected scale.

rigidly together by means of two cross ties or In the various figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similarletters of reference.

a represents the longitudinal frame of the machine, and 1) represents the rear wheels. The rear wheels I), which are the drivingwheels, are each mounted upon a short axle c, and have each formed or fixed on its hub a chain-wheel c, and such short axle c is carried by a slotted bracket or extension at of the frame a in order to allow of adjustment for regulating the tension of the chain d.

Each of the saddles e is supported upon an adjustable pillar c at the upper part of that part of the backbone or frame a which is curved to the form of the wheel I), and these two parts of the frame a are connected together and braced near their upper part by a cross tube or tie a the brackets a, carrying the axle 0, being connected together in a similar manner by a cross tube or tie a Each pedal-axle f is mounted in bearin gs at the lower end of the curved backbone, and has fixed thereon the usual cranks f and pedals f and also a chain-wheel f from which the chain d leads to the chain-wheel 0 upon the hub of one of the driving-wheels Z).

From each of the pedal-axles f the part a of the frame a is curved slightly inward, and is continued rearward until it joins the bracket or extension a, of the corresponding rear or driving wheel I), and it is there formed with a vertical limb a which joins the upper end of the curved backbone a.

The frames at are each continued forward from the pedal-axles f until they join corresponding vertical pillars a", through one of which passes a steering-spindle g. These tubular pillars a are, at about the middle of their length and at their lower ends, connected rigidly together by means of two cross ties or frames (17, inclined downward toward their center, where they are rigidly connected to the top and bot-tom, respectively, of a short central Vertical pillar a which carries a horizontal stud or axis a", upon which the crossframe h of the front and steering wheels 1' is detachably mounted, with capability of partially revolving thereon in order to enable the wheels 1' to follow the inequalities of the road in a manner similar to that described by us with respect to a tandem velocipede in the specification of English Letters Patent granted to us and dated the 8th day of October, 1888, No. 14,427.

The front cross-frame h is preferably arched, and is provided at its ends with bearings h for short vertical spindles i which carry the axles 'i of the wheels 1', and the upper end of each of these vertical spindles i has fixed thereon a short lever or offset i which levers are coupled by means of a connecting-link 1', pin-jointed thereto at each end thereof. One of these levers 11 or the connecting-link 2' is, by a connecting-rod at one end thereof, pin-jointed thereto, and at the other end jointed, by a flexible joint, to a lever g fixed upon a vertical spindle g, which is supported in bearings a a, carried by the short Vertical pillar a or it might be supported in bearings within such short vertical pillar; and the upper part of this vertical spindle g is provided with an oifset or lever g, which is, by a connecting-rod 9 connected to a similar offset or lever g, fixed upon the lower end of the steering-spindle g, which is provided with the usual steering-bar g* at its upperend.

In the modification represented at Figs. 5 and 6 the separate lever g is dispensed with and the connecting-rods 9 11 are both connected by flexible joints at different points to one lever g 9 If desired, both of the steering-bars may, through spindles g, be similarly connected with the wheels 1', thus enabling both riders or either rider to steer.

By this construction of sociable velocipede we obtain a safe and swift machine, and any tendency to the skidding of the wheels, even when the machine is being driven by only one of the riders, is obviated. \Ve are aware that some of the details of construction herein shown and described have been employed in other classes of velocipedes than that to which our invention relates, and we therefore do not claim such details, separately considered.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is-' 1. In a velocipede of the sociable class, the framing constructed with longitudinal frames a a a, the parts at extending rearwardly and upwardly, parts a rearwardly, and the parts (1 extending vertically and connecting the rear ends of parts a and a cross-pieces a and a steering-pillars a, cross-frames a connecting them, central vertical pillar a and front cross-frame 71, supported by the latter, for carrying the front wheels, the frames a, a, and a carrying the back wheels, substantially as shown and described.

2. The side frames of a velocipede of the sociable class, consisting of backbones a, rearwardly-extending parts a, curved inwardly,vertical limbs a connecting the rear ends of parts a and a and brackets a, at the juncture of parts a and a in which the axles of the rear wheels are journaled, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the frame and wheels of a velocipede of the sociable class, the steering or front portion of the same consisting of side pillars a, to receive the steering spindle or spindles, a central pillar a frame a connecting the pillars, and front cross-frame h, pivotally connected with the central pillar and carrying the front wheels, substantially as set forth.

4. A four-wheeled two-track velocipede of the sociable class, constructed with longitudinal frames a a a connected together by steering-spindle g, lever g, connecting-rod I lever or levers 3 5 central vertical s indle 9 9 g and connecting-rods v, '0 all in manner I 5 substantially as herein shown and described.

WVALTER PHILLIPS. ROBERT WALKER SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. B. BROMLEY,

Queen Victoria Road, Coventry. EDWN. HITCH,

Chapel Fields, Coventry. 

